NEWS

Posted on 21 July, 2023

Ian Fleming Images is delighted to have acquired the Ian Fleming portfolio of legendary American photographer Loomis Dean (1917–2005). The collection includes iconic images which first featured in LIFE Magazine in the 1960s. Dean’s images join the official photographic archive of the author overseen by Ian Fleming Images for his Estate.

Loomis Dean (1917-2005) photographed a wide variety of people and events during his long career. He spent time as an aerial reconnaissance photographer in the Pacific during the Second World War and also photographed Elvis Presley and many Hollywood greats of the 1950s. This was followed by 25 years capturing personalities and events around the world from his base at LIFE‘s Paris office. Dean’s photographs appeared on more than 50 covers of the iconic magazine, including the iconic image of Ian Fleming behind the wheel of a friend’s 4 1/2 litre Bentley, much like the one driven by 007.

Dean was famed for his ability to put his subjects at ease. His habit of adding amusing or interesting elements to the scene, sets his work apart from more traditional portrait shots. He mixes styles: reportage, candid and formal portraiture are combined to give us a unique insight into his subject’s personality – all with an appealing sense of informality and a fun atmosphere. 

The 17-piece collection acquired by Ian Fleming Images include photos of the author in situations in which James Bond might have found himself, blurring the lines between the two. Watch him examining old Brazilian coins at a London coin shop when researching pirate gold for Live and Let Die in 1962. Other images access a more private part of Fleming’s life, such as rustling up his famous scrambled eggs at his London home in an apron, as featured in 007 in New York, and deep in thought at the card table.

Dean’s camera took him back into the world of 007 in 1967, when the search was on for a new actor to play James Bond on screen. LIFE sent Dean to casting sessions for new movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, to capture the candidates being put through their paces. The five hopefuls included George Lazenby, who would eventually win the coveted role, and the magazine went on to publish a handful of Dean’s photos in an article on the film and on the Bond phenomenon.

Ian Fleming Images work to promote the author’s legacy through pictures. They manage the licensing of his image internationally, offering a wide range of photographs of Fleming throughout his life for both commercial and editorial usage. Please contact images@ianfleming.com for more details.

Discover more about Loomis Dean’s work here.

• Link